Impeller for use in centrifugal pump or blower and a method of manufacture thereof



Nov. 15, 1966 G. R. ANDERSON, JR 3,285,187

IMPELLER FOR USE IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMP OR BLOWER AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Nov. 5, 1965 AVEMW 0200 4405250 J22 WM MM 5 14M United States Patent 3,285,187 IMPELLER FOR USE IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMP 0R BLOWER AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Gordon R. Anderson, Jr., Racine, Wis., assignor to MSL Industries, Inc., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 506,454 3 Claims. (Cl. 103115) This invention relates to an impeller for use in centrifugal pump or blower and a method of manufacture thereof.

The construction is one in which fluid is to be propelled radially between two disks or plates mounted on separate hub sections and having alternately long and short blades extending across the intervening space, one of the disks being completely closed and the other having a central annular opening with streamline margin.

The construction and method of manufacture are such that the impeller wheel can be made by molding, casting or die casting, with all surfaces exposed so that no coring is required. This is done by making the shorter blades integral with the back plate and spaced at all points from a half-hub section which is also integral therewith. If they were not shorter, and spaced as described, there would (in the instant design) be an excessive bulk of material at the hub and inflow of fluid would be impeded. The longer blades are integral with the annular front plate and extend as spokes across the inlet opening into integral connection with the front half section of the hub, there being no other connection between the front plate and the front half section of the hub.

A preferred construction is one in which the two half hub sections are integrally provided with pin and socket portions which are complementary to define positions of the two component parts of the wheel such that the blades will be spaced arcuately, properly with one of the short blades centered between each pair of the longer blades. When the prefabricated wheel parts are mounted on a shaft, as by clamping them against a shoulder thereof, the wheel parts are maintained in proper assembly.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective in separated positions the component parts of a wheel embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the assembled and mounted wheel in generally diametrical section, portions of the mounting shaft being fragmentarily illustrated and the curvature of the blades being dis-regarded.

The shaft 4 has a shoulder at 6 beyond which there is an extension 8 threaded to receive a clamping nut for holding the wheel parts to the shoulder of the shaft.

The wheel comprises a rear hub section 12 and a forward hub section 14. The rear hub section 12 is integral with the rear disk or plate 16 of the blower wheel and has a generally concavely frusto-conical surface 18 merging with the forward surface of the rear disk 16.

Formed integrally on the front face of the rear disk 16 are streamlined blades 20 in any desired number, three being shown. It will be understood that not only may the blades be of difierent number from the exemplification, but they also may differ in form and inclination. The preferred streamlined form is not essential. Neither is it essential that the blades be inclined rearwardly, since they may be radial or forwardly inclined, or have shapes other than those illustrated and may still use the features herein discolsed as my invention. Neither is it essential that the blades be of uniform radial thickness, since it is quite common in this art for pumps and blowers to have their front walls conical or spherically curved. In such 3,285,187 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 cases, the blades would conform. In other words, details given are by way of exemplification and not by way of limitation.

In the instant exemplification, the blades 20 are spaced outwardly from the hub 12 and are preferably curved, their leading end margins 22 are preferably cylindrica'lly rounded, and the blades taper in thickness from these forward margins to their thin trailing edges 24. The height or projection of the blades from the disk 16 with which they are integral is such that the blades greatly exceed in height the height of the hub section 12. In the assembled wheel the blades directly contact the inner face of the annular forward disk or plate 26 as shown in FIG. 2. In the instant exemplification, the annular plate 26 is flat. However, as noted above, this is not necessarily the case.

Arcuately alternating with the short blades 20 are the longer blades 30, which are likewise streamlined having leading ends 32 fitted to hub section 14 and having thin end trailing edges 34. These longer blades 30 are integral with the annular front plate 26 of the wheel and extend across the annular inlet port 35 into integral connection with the outer or forward hub section 14. Inasmuch as these blades have much greater height than hub section 14 in a direction rearward-1y of the front plate 26, the

integral connection between the blades and the hub section 14 is limited to the forward leading corners of the respective blades. As in the case of the .shorter blades, the blades 30 completely fill the space between the rear plate 16 and the front plate 26 of the wheel.

The margin 36 of the front plate 26 which defines the inlet opening 35 is preferably bulbous in cross section as shown in FIG. 2, although this is not necessarily the case.

The accurate positioning of the several blades in proper arcuate spacing from each other may conveniently be maintained by forming a tapered pin 38 on hub section 14 and a complementary socket 40 in hub section 1 2. When the two hub sections are mounted on shaft 8, the pin 38 is engaged in socket 40 as shown in FIG. 2 and the clamping pressure of the nut 10 maintains the parts in assembly with no other connections required. When thus assembled, the wheel looks and functions like a one piece wheel, yet it can readily be fabricated without coring and by any appropriatemolding process, the term molding being intended to be broad enough to include casting, die casting, sintering or the like.

Since the wheel may be manufactured without coring, with its component parts separately prefabricated, it may be made of any appropriate material, either metallic or non-metallic, examples being die casting metal and synthetic resins.

As already indicated, this invention is applicable to impellers for handling either liquid or gas. The specific embodiment illustrated happens to have been designed for the purpose of moving air to create a partial vacuum and the specific design features disclosed were developed for that particular objective. I do not wish the invention to be limited to these design features or to any particular use.

Iclaim:

1. An impeller wheel comprising two separately cast parts in detachable assembly, said Wheel including as one of said parts a rear disk, an integral hub section and integral blades spaced from said hub section; and including as its other cast part an annular plate having a central inlet port, and a hub section complementary to the hub section first mentioned and disposed within said port, the two said hub sections together constituting a driving hub and blades alternating with the blades first mentioned and greater in radial extent to project as spokes across said port and integrally connected with the such blade element extending from the plate with which it is integral into substantial contact with the other plate to span the entire distance between said plates, means for defining the proper positions of the respective hub sections to locate the blades of-the respective parts in their desired relative positions; and means for holding the-parts in assembly by clamping the respective hub sections together. Y

2. An impeller wheel according to claim 1 in which the said hub sections have registering apertures for a mounting shaft and the-prefabricated parts are assembled only as mounted on such shaft for use, the means for holding the parts in assembly comprising means on said shaft;

- 3. An impeller according to claim 1 in which the said hub sections are respectively provided with pin and socket means in complementary engagement and constituting the means for defining the proper positions of the respective hub sections.

References Cited'by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,050 4/1895 Swabel 1031 15 63 8,277 12/ 1899 Rigdon 103-1 15 1,674,543 6/1928 Clifton 103-1 15 1,919,970 7/:1933 Woods 103l15 2,339,099 1/1944 Namur 1031 14 2,652,191 9/1953 Buchi 103115 3,175,757 3/1965 Laing 230-1345 FOREIGN PATENTS 78,038 2/ 1894 Germany.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner. HENRY F. RADUAZO, Examiner. 

1. AN IMPELLER WHEEL COMPRISING TWO SEPARATELY CAST PARTS IN DETACHABLE ASSEMBLY SAID WHEEL INCLUDING AS ONE OF SAID PARTS A REAR DISK, AN INTEGRAL HUB SECTION AND INTEGRAL BLADES SPACED FROM SAID HUB SECTION; AND INCLUDING AS ITS OTHER CAST PART AN ANNULAR PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL INLET PORT, AND A HUB SECTION COMPLEMENTARY TO THE HUB SECTION FIRST MENTIONED AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PORT, THE TWO SAID HUB SECTIONS TOGETHER CONSTITUTING A DRIVING HUB AND BLADES ALTERNATING WITH THE BLADES FIRST MENTIONED AND GREATER IN RADIAL EXTENT TO PROJECT AS SPOKES ACROSS SAID PORT AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTED WITH THE ANNULAR PLATE AND WITH THE SECOND HUB SECTION; EACH SUCH BLADE ELEMENT EXTENDING FROM THE PLATE WITH WHICH IT IS INTEGRAL INTO SUBSTANTIALLY CONTACT WITH THE OTHER PLATE TO SPAN THE ENTIRE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID PLATES, MEANS FOR DEFINING THE PROPER POSITIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE HUB SECTIONS TO LOCATE THE BLADES OF THE RESPECTIVE PARTS IN THEIR PARTS IN ASSEMBLY BY CLAMPING THE RESPECTIVE HUB SECTHE PARTS IN ASSEMBLY BY CLAMPING THE RESPECTIVE HUB SECTIONS TOGETHER. 